Judging a book by its cover (attn: anyone)

[Maia]

Her first day of training was over and, although Delylah was physically exhausted and practically ready to topple over, she was thrilled with her day nonetheless. Why did I ever doubt that this was the right decision? she said to herself, pushing sweat-matted strands of golden-blonde hair away from her eyes as she made her way back to her room. I can't remember the last time that I had so much fun while at the same time working so hard. She wasn't a pampered woman by any means but growing up in a very well appointed and extensively patronized Inn in Andor---the only child of the owner, at that---had meant that Delylah was used to luxury. And yet she didn't regret giving it all up to come to Tar Valon...not really.

It hadn't been a perfect beginning, though, and Delylah was self-aware enough to know the reason why. Oh, seeing the small room that was to be hers had definitely been a shock but that had been as insignificant as a summer rain-shower compared to the reaction of her fellow Siswai upon first laying eyes on their newest compatriot. Aside from the obvious fact that she was a woman, Delylah was a beautiful woman, what one of her mother's clients had once called a “head turner”. Golden-blonde hair, unusual pale-whiskey colored eyes, and a face that just seemed to be made for nothing more than looking pretty, Delylah had grown up knowing that she was attractive. And yet, she had rarely used to to her advantage and hated it when people assumed that she couldn't do anything more than wear fancy dresses and laugh girlishly.

“I won't let it bother me,” she muttered to herself, remembering how a few of the men had seemed to smirk behind their hands when she had entered the practice yards that very morning. Stripping off her dirty cream-colored shirt, she quickly scrubbed her face before donning a new---and clean---white one. “It's not my problem if they think I'm weak,” she added, re-doing her low ponytail. She just had to prove them wrong, that was all. A few weeks, perhaps, and then they would know that Delylah al'Tamar was no fragile china doll. After all, she had defended herself and her courtesan mother on more than one occasion and, two years ago, had even killed a man who had threatened to burn the Inn down with a crossbow bolt to the chest.

It was a lucky shot, and I cried for a week afterwards, she recalled, her mouth curving in a smile. Exiting her room, she quickly returned to the training grounds, having decided to watch the others for a few minutes. She made her way to an empty stone bench and sat down, stretching out her long legs and crossing them at the ankles. The day was lovely, after all, so why waste it sitting alone inside?

[Robin_Gunnay]

Striding across the Yard, Robin was on a mission and it was clear that the trainees could see she was on a mission as well as they moved out of her way or made themselves have something to do which carried them far from the tall Saldaean woman. It was almost fitting that she wore black breeches tucked into nearly knee high boots, and her green shirt was so dark as to almost match her pants. The black suited the image of a stalking panther on the hunt, her intense green eyes lset in a raptor like gaze and moved about the Yard seeing everything and nothing at once. Strapped to her hips were a pair of short sword which seemed a natural part of the woman as they moved in time with the stalking sway of her lithely muscled form, tensed and taunt as if she might pounce at any given moment.

She stopped moving, yet her body still held the illusion of being poised to move at the drop of a pin, her eyes passed across the stop on a young man some distance off, "Garrin." The young man turned his head and then began moving long before his gaze could've possibly settled on the beautiful woman standing like death waiting. He stopped in front of her, "Find Dorn and send him to stalls, tell him to wait for me there." Her voice held a clear musical tone that only added weight to her words. The Manshima nodded and headed off at a run.

Turning her head to let her piercing gaze stop on the woman on the bench, it was easy to imagine an eagle measuring a prey item for all that she seemed to not blink. There was a vague twitch of her eyebrows before she turned to walk over and stop a few paces from where the young woman was seated so casually. "If you have nothing better to do than sit here and lounge the day away, Siswai, I can most certainly find something for you to do." If there were anyone less likely to judge based on appearances it was the woman standing before Delylah staring at her from behind eyes which seemed to want to see deep inside the Andoran. Robin wore no pins of rank nor a color-shifting cloak today, as she had intended working with Dorn since he finally gave over and switched to the long sword. "Well, Siswai? Are you going to stand and report or lounge about all day?"

[Maia]

"Well, Siswai? Are you going to stand and report or lounge about all day?" Eyes widening in alarm, Delylah pulled her legs in and drew herself to her feet, unconsciously smoothing out non-existent wrinkles from her breeches as she did. Why do I have the feeling that I've just done something wrong? she said to herself, observing the woman who had interrupted her apparently illicit rest. Although the other woman wore no pins at all the swords strapped at her hips, the graceful way she moved and the fact that she seemed to immediately inspire reactions of both fear and respect in those around her told Delylah all that she needed to know.

Inclining her head in a carefully humble bow, Delylah straightened out her shoulders, proud that she apparently didn't look as worried...no, scared...as she felt. At least I'm not trembling...that's a start! "Delylah al'Tamar reporting as ordered, Gaidar," she replied, the sincerity of her words reflected in her near-amber eyes. "I was dismissed from my training a short while ago and thought that it would be permissible to sit here and enjoy the day for a minute or two. If I was mistaken I truly do apologize, I meant no disrespect. If there is something else that I ought to be doing, I will of course do it but I was given no specific instructions earlier on."

Her mind racing even as she spoke, Delylah tried to think of what she should have been doing instead of taking a break. Obviously sitting around on her bottom and soaking up some sunshine was not the correct answer but what was? Should I have asked for more training? Or chores, perhaps? What do the other Siswai do when they're dismissed? Light, why didn't I think to ask before just wandering off? If I get in trouble it's my own fault. Apparently there were many rules here at the White Tower and she had probably just broken one of them. Still, as her mother always said 'as long as you learn from your mistakes you shouldn't be ashamed that you made a mistake in the first place.' Well, that might have been sound advice but the woman who stood before her probably didn't give a fig for what a high-priced courtesan would have said!

"Again, let me apologize for my error," Delylah finished, deciding that it couldn't hurt to say it a second time. "It will not happen again."

[Robin_Gunnay]

Dismissed from classes. Robin wondered who in the Pit her instructor was that they weren't keeping Siswai busy. she believed the girl for two reasons. First, the fear on her face when the Saldaean stopped in front of her. Secondly, because the girl had been here less that a day or two, if Robin remembered the new roster she'd been given this morning. She went over the roster in her head while two striking emerald eyes bored into the Andoran Siswai's own, like a snake mesmerizing its prey. This was one of two new Siswai who were female, and the other Robin was sure fit a different description. Yes, this one's name was most certainly on the new sheet.

"When I ask you to report, I want you to respond with your name and rank. If I want more information, I will ask for it." The Warder didn't confirm or correct the younger woman's guess of her rank, she was correct and that was that. She moved to one side of the girl, watching her closely like a bird examining a worm. "I don't like excuses. If you screw up admit it and move on."

"I am interested to know who your instructor is." The Gaidar moved on succinctly, "We are honing weapons here and leaving a Siswai with nothing to do in the middle of the day is hardly helping your training. Then I would like for you to tell me what brings you to Tar Valon to train to be such a weapon." Robin moved back to stand face to face with the girl, while her arms weren't crossed her face and posture suggested it.

[Maia]

OOC: I'm not sure who her trainer (or should be) so I'm just gonna wing it.

IC: "We are honing weapons here and leaving a Siswai with nothing to do in the middle of the day is hardly helping your training. Then I would like for you to tell me what brings you to Tar Valon to train to be such a weapon." Delylah nodded, racking her brain to try and remember the name of her instructor. There had been two of them that day, both somewhat older men, but on her life she couldn't remember their names nor much about them other than the fact that they were both tall and wore black. Well that's just great, that's really helpful. How is it that I could help mother manage the account books for the Inn but I can't remember my trainers names? Way to make a great impression, you flaming idiot. Her mouth opened but when no recollections were forthcoming she snapped it shut again and lowered her gaze.

"Forgive me, Gaidar, but I am truly at a loss, I can't recall their names. One man was showing me the crossbow and another was explaining the long-sword to a small group of us over there on the field," Delylah began, knowing that her answer sounded quite pathetic. "As to why I came here, it's a bit of a complicated---and long---story." She paused and met the Gaidar's sharp, green-eyed stare. How much should she reveal? Being the daughter of a courtesan wasn't exactly something that Delylah liked to brag about but at the same time she was sure that others here had far more tawdry beginnings than she did. Besides, I'm not ashamed of Mother, she is a strong and intelligent woman and she raised me well....

And so, taking a slow breath, Delylah decided to just let it out and so she began to explain herself and her reasons for being at the White Tower. She left nothing out; not the fact that she never knew her soldier father, nor the fact that she was raised in a glorified brothel, nor the fact that she could have just as easily stayed in Andor and followed her Mother's path but knew in her soul that her place was elsewhere. "As soon as I made up my mind to come here, it just felt like the right thing to do. I want to be able to fight the Shadow and I know that I have the potential to be a good Gaidar one day...I just need the proper training. Besides, I couldn't stay in Andor and rely only on my looks, there's more to me than just a face!" she exclaimed, her voice growing heated. "And...I suppose that's it, Gaidar, that's why I'm here."

[Robin_Gunnay]

Robin knew who was assigned to both of those areas at the time of day which would coincide with the girl's lessons, and it came as no real surprise that Delylah couldn't remember either man....they were quite forgettable. Older men both, and neither really wanted to teach, not that it was a high point of Robin's life outside of the medic stuff, but she rose to her duty with as much vigor as she did anything else. In her mind there was no excuse for slacking, it only hurt the Aes Sedai these men and women would be protecting in the future. It wasn't helping this Siswai, not in the least. The Saldaean shook her head and let out a breath, "I know them well enough, Delylah, you need say no more." Robin let her continue on to talk about what brought her to Tar Valon with an impassive look on her face.

Robin's story was similar in some cases, yet vastly different all at the same time. She could understand wanting more from life that being what was expected of you, and Robin's 'mother' was a whore....Robin wasn't and had no desire to be such. She was certainly attractive enough, but the Gaidar didn't really see that in herself. She believed Madienne when she told Robin she was beautiful, but more as the Aes Sedai's perception than any actual physical beauty on Robin's own part. All the same, she couldn't deny the affect she had on Madie or the sensation that came with knowing she did and how to exert that effect.

"Robin." The Warder said simply, "My name is Robin Gunnay, Gaidar to Madienne Serafina Aes Sedai, of the Brown Ajah." For some reason, there were those that thought her bondmate's Ajah was some reflection on Robin's skill...it wasn't. Exactly the opposite, Robin was as dangerous as they came. That same dangerous air which crackled about her a few moments ago, lessened as she regarded the girl with a somewhat less predatory fashion. "Come, we will eat lunch, then see about you being in a class which suits you better." The Warder wasn't waiting about, she turned on her heel and expected the girl to follow. "We're going to start your first day over from the top, so forget what those two layabouts said and listen to me very, very carefully. I do not like to repeat myself." That drew the Saldaean's green eyes to Delylah for emphasis. "If you have a schedule on you, take it out and tear it up, you'll find mine is a great deal less...open. You are here to become a weapon unlike anything seen under the Creator and that leaved little room for free time, at least initially, though you may earn free time if you show me you're responsible enough for it."

She was leading the way back toward the dining hall as it was nearly lunch time, her eyes swept the area seeing everything and nothing all at once. "Second, you will carry only practice blades and dummy bolts for the crossbow, but you will never let me catch you unarmed. You are training to be a weapon, a weapon is never unprepared. I have creative and painful ways of reminding you of my words, so take them to heart because I do not speak to hear my own voice." She made a turn to move around a training ring, any who might've glanced at or stared at either female turned their head when they saw who was leading the pretty Siswai...they knew better than to make eyes at Robin. "You will not be caught alone with a male of this Tower or the Black Tower, or so help you there will be no where for you to hide that I can't find you...and I assure you this Robin sees more than you think. Your mind will be on your studies and only your studies, you will have no time for anything else. Do not skip class, do not be late for class, and show respect to every Aes Sedai, Accepted, and Novice of this Tower as they are due such. Break my rules and you will find out how unpleasant I can make your life. Am I making myself clear so far?" Robin held the door into the Dining Hall, to allow Delylah to enter first, yet she was still waiting for an answer.

[Maia]

"Clear? Yes, Gaidar...Robin...it is very clear indeed," Delylah answered, her mind frantically trying to assimilate all that she was hearing while she trailed Robin towards the dining hall. A part of her was thrilled to the core that Robin apparently wanted to take Delylah under her wing but another, more cautious part was shrieking that this would end badly. Oh stop that! Delylah ordered herself, squashing that shrieking and worried part of herself down into silence. This is a wonderful opportunity and I will not let my fear take it away from me. I know that this will not end badly, I can feel it in my bones.

Delylah thanked Robin as the Gaidar held open the door and then she stepped into the large dining hall, the babble of dozens of voices talking at once rising to her ears in a low din. The sound was oddly comforting and it only took Delylah a second to recognize why; it made her think of being with her mother, of being a young girl looking out across a crowded Common room and seeing all of the different faces and hearing all of the different accents and wanting to know everything about those people, right down to the names of their horses. How many times had Anissa shooed her daughter back up to her room with a muttered oath that she had no place there? And how many times had Delylah snuck back downstairs at the earliest opportunity, too curious to go to sleep as ordered?

A smile flickered across Delylah's face as the memories overwhelmed her for a second. Then it was gone, replaced with a sharply focused look. That life was behind her now, she was no longer Delylah al'Tamar, the daughter of the 'woman who owned the Gilded Crown'. She was Delylah the Siswai, and she was not going to squander the opportunity that Robin was presenting to her. The first thing I'm going to do when I get back to my room is tear up that schedule! Light, I can't believe that I am actually looking forward to that. Waiting until Robin had joined her, Delylah then gestured to an empty table.

"Do you wish to sit, Gaidar?" she asked, "I can get us both something to eat, if you like." As soon as the words left her mouth Delylah flinched; apparently the young woman who had worked at the Gilded Crown was still alive and well and wanting to fetch food for people! "Of course, if you'd rather I not that's alright too," she finished lamely, flushing in embarassment.

[Robin_Gunnay]

The din of the dining hall didn't pause the Warder's feet, the stoppage of her trainee did, but she said nothing to break the girl from her thoughts. It could be daunting to realize you were but one face in a sea of initiates of the Tower, warder trainees included in that mix, and Robin gave her a moment to take it all in. This dining hall was used by everyone except Aes Sedai who had their own dining facility, and really Robin could've used it as well as she was a bonded warder. Robin thought it was counterproductive for her students to see her dine apart from them, it said something to them when an instructor did so as if they were somehow better than the men and women they trained. Robin was more skilled and better trained than her students, but she was not above them as a person and had no desire to make them think she was. It also kept them on good behaviour if they didn't know when or where they would see the Gaidar's face, so she used that as another training tool.

"Thank you for asking, Delylah, but I don't expect my students to wait on me hand and foot." She smirked and gave a nod toward the food line. "Let's just get some food and we'll sit and discuss the rest of your day." Robin moved toward the line and stood as patiently as the rest, pointedly ignoring the stares and hurried movements of those who desired to not draw her attention. Those who hurried away looked at the girl with looks that ranged from compassion to outright pity to those who were glad to not be standing at the Saldaean's side. A few others greeted the Warder by name as she passed them, and Robin gave each a nod and greeting in return. She didn't linger or dawdle getting through the line, she was hungry.

It didn't take long for them to get through the line, the cook staff were well rehearsed in keeping the lines moving to ensure that trainees had time to eat before their next lesson. Robin allowed Delylah to go before her as the Gaidar took her time and piled her tray high with enough food for at least three people, and a pot of tea on top of it which the undercook carried to an empty table for Robin. She settled herself down and arranged her food before speaking to Delylah again, "Since we're starting your day over, then you will have the rest of this day free to move about and learn your way. You can sign up for the classes you wish to take, as you will be expected to have classroom lessons along with your weapons training. A Warder is more than a sword, she must be educated and learned if she is to protect her Aes Sedai. You will have weapon lessons with me on the east field every day, I've my own training area that I prefer to use near the stream." She gestured with her fork, "There is a large oak and a low stone wall, you can't miss it." Her tone said missing it wasn't advisable, and she should put that on her list of places to find before the day's end.

The Warder are quickly but neatly, wasting no time save a pause to speak which she did again, "I know better than to think either of those two gave you more instruction than to stick the pointy end in the enemy and not your foot, and you seem intelligent enough to figure that out without someone telling you. I can't think of a Siswai who arrives here who doesn't have questions, so today is your chance to ask me anything that you think you need to." Robin resumed eating, leaving the girl a pause to do just that.

[Maia]

A large oak and a low stone wall, a large oak and a low stone wall... Delylah repeated to herself, trying to commit the spot to memory in order to find it more quickly later on. She had a feeling that Robin wouldn't like it if she ended up lost and wandering the Tower grounds, asking passing Warders for help in trying to find a large oak tree near a low stone wall. Delylah idly stirred her thick stew as Robin continued, a grin once again flashing across her face at the Gaidar's 'sticking the pointy end into the enemy' comment. The worst part was that she Robin hadn't been far off; Delylah had felt like she knew more about the crossbow than the man who had been instructing her...how wrong was that? At least Robin promised to be a lot more helpful than her previous teachers!

"Questions..." Delylah murmured, as Robin finished speaking and returned to her food. "I have many questions, actually, but I think a lot of them will be answered with time. One of the things I really would like to know...and am curious about...is how we women are treated here. It's been my experience in general that we're often looked upon as playthings or fragile dolls, definitely not as fighters or the like. I've only been here for a day and a half but I sometimes feel like I don't belong, like a lot of the men don't want me here." She laid down her spoon, stew as yet untasted, and turned her attention to tearing apart the crusty roll of bread that lay beside her bowl. "I may be totally wrong but it's just a nagging feeling that grabbed me right away."

She paused and dipped a small piece of the roll into her stew before continuing, the words now tumbling out of her in a near torrent. "And also, I was wondering how long it takes to become a full Warder. I noticed that a lot of the ones who are here in the Tower seem to be quite a bit...older than we are and it got me to wondering; did they come here later in life or did they spend many years in training? Oh! And another thing, how do you choose who you bond with? Is it always the Aes Sedai who decides? Do you have a say?" Forcing herself to stop chattering, Delylah smiled and popped the bread into her mouth.

"I am sorry," she added, once she had swallowed her food. "I guess I had more questions to ask than I orginally thought I would. Mind you, my mother always used to say that I was too friendly for my own good and talked too much, that once I got going it was nearly impossible to quiet me down. I suppose that not much has changed there, has it?"

[Robin_Gunnay]

Robin gave a dry laugh and waved off the apology, "I said ask questions, if I hadn't meant it well, I wouldn't have said it." The Saldaean wasn't one to speak something she hadn't meant in the first place. Even had the questions been frivolous, Robin had invited them and would entertain the, but they hadn't been random drivel for which the Gaidar was pleased. She did eat a bit more of her meal before speaking, however, as she'd been starving long before they sat down. The mound of food had disappeared rapidly but with manners while they'd already been talking and Robin polished off the last few bites, then poured herself a cup of tea.

It was then she sat back and talked, "Being a female in the Yards isn't going to be easy." She settled herself back in the chair, "You will be treated as if you are expected to fail, and you will have to work twice as hard as your male peers to gain any ground. It isn't that they see you as weak or a plaything, it's that a great number of men can't understand why a woman would want to do this even though we are protectors and nurturers by nature. It will be harder as a Siswai because a number of the men haven't gotten the notion out of their heads that fighting is a man's place, and you will be at odds with that, though less than if you were outside the Tower. How you handle it is up to you, but never let them see that they've gotten to you...like children, it only encourages them." She smirked, "My male students learn very quickly that this girl isn't soft and demure."

"In some respects it will be harder for you for other reasons, because realistically we aren't men and we'll never be as strong as they are physically. Sure, there will be men in the world that you can out muscle, moreso once your training progresses, but you can't rely on that. You have to rely on what you are strong in, what skills you excel at that they lack. We'll find those skills and hone them, so don't worry that he can hit harder...you'll have tools of your own." Robin's were speed and agility, the Gaidar was fast and wasted little movement in battle. "As for how long, it depends on the person. Some take many years, some not so long, I can't say because each trainee is different."

"Bonding is another matter entirely and not something I would concentrate on right now." The Saldaean took a drink of tea and carefully set the cup back on the saucer. "When the time comes you and the Aes Sedai will both know it is right for you, and no the Aes Sedai does not choose alone. You must consent and be willing to be her Bonded Warder, and you must have trust in each other beyond anything I can put to words. As a Siswai you should know about the bond, but do not concentrate on being bonded as it is far in the future. For now put your concentration in your studies and learn what is required of you, the rest will come in time."

[Maia]

While Robin was answering her questions Delylah ate her beef and vegetable stew, which thankfully didn't taste as bland as it had originally looked. In fact, before she knew it the bowl was empty and she was dabbing carefully at the few crumbs of crusty bread that still speckled her dish. Apparently the mornings' training session, while pretty much useless in terms of practical knowledge, had nonetheless helped Delylah work up a monstrous appetite. At least I didn't get any on me, that would have been embarassing in the extreme, Delylah said to herself, pushing her empty bowl to one side and leaning forward to brace her forearms on the table.

"I thank you for your honesty," she replied, once Robin had finished. "I'm already getting a sense that the men here don't want to---or maybe just can't---see me as anything other than 'soft and demure' like you said, but I hope to be able to show them otherwise very soon. Truthfully, I can be a little temperamental and I've really never liked being teased because of how I look or act. This may sound arrogant or maybe even falsely modest but my looks can sometimes be a real hindrance when I want to be taken seriously." She smiled slightly and shook her head, her eyes flashing with good humour. "Actually most people, both men and women, assume that I use my face to get whatever I want and that drives me mad! It implies that I'm nothing more than a gold-seeking...degenerate, or something like that."

Delylah paused and her smile widened. "But I am excited to start training properly," she continued, "And Light, I hope that I do have some useful skills, although I doubt that I'll ever be able to carry one of those massive swords that I see some Warders hauling around." As yet she couldn't pinpoint her own specific talents but knew that she was pretty light on her feet and seemed to have good hand to eye coordination as well. Whether or not those impressions proved accurate or even real would only be determined over time, of course, but...hopefully not too much time.  She didn't want to be an old, grey-haired woman before becoming a Gaidar, that was for sure.

[Robin_Gunnay]

"It isn't that they can't so much." Robin regarded her over the rim of her cup, "Most of the older men will make comments to fire you up and try to push you into a mistake. The younger ones just are clueless, as this is the first time they've been out of their homelands, a lot of them, and they don't know what the world is like. Everyone learns, or they are broken and put out of the White Tower." It remained to be seen which category this girl would fall into, though she didn't seem the type to scamper off in the night with her head hung in shame. "If you want to be taken seriously, then you need to take yourself seriously. Your fate here is in your hands, and you need to keep that in mind."

"I can give you all the tools in the world to be what you need to be, but if you don't use them properly then you do yourself no good. I will make a weapon of you or I will break you in the process." She gestured around the room with her cup, "Most of the faces you see here will be gone inside of six months because they aren't made of the stuff it takes to be a Warder, more than that will never get Raised and some will sneak away under the cover of darkness. If you want to be taken seriously, then start with the face you see in the mirror every morning."

Robin sipped her tea, then settled the cup back on the saucer, "As I said before, you will have the rest of the day to learn your way about the Tower. Use that time, and all your time here, wisely and you will already start on the right foot. Tend your studies and lessons, and maintain a sense of discipline and respect in all things you do, and you shouldn't have any problems."

[Maia]

Delylah nodded as Robin explained to her that becoming a Warder was more than just swinging a sword, that it was a serious calling and needed to be taken as such. I don't plan on being broken during this process, she said to herself, taking a swallow of her own, now tepid, tea. I know that this won't be easy but then again I've never shied away from a challenge before and I have no plans on starting now. If I had wanted an easy life I would have stayed home and taken over the running of the Gilded Crown in a few years, I wouldn't have come here. No, Delylah wouldn't be gone within six months, not unless she dropped dead of exhaustion after a practice and they literally had to carry her out of the Tower!

"Thank you for the advice," she replied, setting aside the rest of her tea. "I do plan on making it through this, I'm not going to be one of those who sneaks away at night. I'm sure those people believed their reasons for leaving were good ones but I would never be able to live with myself if I did." Of course, Delylah realized with a little wry twist of her lips, she had only been at the Tower for such a short time, it was all well and good to spout confident words now. Wait until a month has gone by and then I'll see if I still feel so eager to live this life. "Obviously I know that this is going to be a tough road ahead but I plan on giving you all that I can."

The dining hall was slowly emptying and Delylah sat back, gesturing to her surroundings with a slow wave of her left hand. "I understand that I have the rest of the day to get to know this place, and I plan to, starting with the large oak you mentioned," she added. "But what time would you like me to meet you tomorrow? My old teachers liked to start their classes quite early, often just as the sun was rising, so if you want to keep to that schedule I can be there."

[Robin_Gunnay]

The Gaidar nodded, though she said nothing to the girl's determination to not be a casualty of the program. It was easier to say that on day one than it was down the road, though Robin kept an eye on all her students closely to try and predict who was going to walk away. Some who did so still had actual potential, they just couldn't live with the hard schedule and the rigid discipline, and while they could adjust if given time, they'd given up on themselves. To some extent that was for the best, as no Aes Sedai needed a protector who just gave up and refused to fight. Robin did her best to prepare her students, but it did little good when they refused to prepare themselves. At least she could say that Delylah was starting with some resolve in her, but that would be tested over and over again....Robin would ensure it. The nice, casual chat they were having now would be no where on the Gaidar once they hit the training field for lessons. Robin was a scourge of the training grounds because she expected the best effort put forth and tolerated no foolishness, and she was a hard teacher. The upside that few learned was that she was also there for her students when they needed her, those that had true need anyway.

"After first meal will be sufficient, make sure you get enough sleep and plenty to eat." She almost regretted that Delylah would see the side of her that made trainees shake, the girl was a pleasant sort, but Robin was here to forge weapons and that was all there was to that. "I will want to see your new schedule at some point tomorrow, so let's talk about what classes other than weapons you will need." The Gaidar gave a nod to change the subject, "What would you like to learn?" She leaned back in the chair and poured another cup of tea while she listened to what the girl had to say. Robin had her own goals when she got to the White Tower, and one of them she's sacrificed as it wasn't as high on her list as other things.

[Maia]

"What would I like to learn?" Delylah mused, her mouth quirking in a smile. "How about everything?" She chuckled and waved off her last comment, knowing that to learn everything was truly an impossible task. "Honestly, I...I want to learn how to defend myself, for one thing, so maybe some techniques of that sort," she said quietly. "You see, when I was a lot younger I'd often be accosted by... certain people and the only way I ever knew how to get out of that kind of situation was to scream as loud as I could. Then the toughs that my mother hired as security would come over and help me out." Delylah chuckled and shook her head, the memories still vivid even though it had been years since she had had to resort to shrieking. "Once I got a little older I taught myself how to use the crossbow but to be honest, I'm not very good. Oh, I can hit a target more often than not but there's a difference between a static target and a moving enemy!"

She paused to take a breath and to think the rest of her answer through. A part of her wanted to learn the longsword---she saw how elegant the forms could be, and the idea of learning them herself intrigued her---but would she have the strength for the task? Delylah wasn't frail or weak by any means but handling a sword required power, and at the end of the day she wasn't sure if she had enough of it. "Aside from that, I was thinking about trying my hand at the longsword, or a sword of some type, in any case. I have already begun training with long knives and I do like them, but I think that a longsword would be a lot more useful in a real fight. Knives are good for up close battles, it seems to me, but a sword looks to be a lot more effective."

Having almost run out of air, Delylah stopped and then smiled again. "Does that sound like a good program?" she asked, curious as to whether or not Robin thought she was overreaching. "I am open to whatever you think I should learn, Light knows that there's probably a lot of things that I'm totally forgetting about. I won't be heartbroken if you think I'm being ridiculous, I sometimes feel like I am!"